Kathmandu, Jan. 19: After the government endorsed the Green Hydrogen Policy-2080 through the cabinet meeting held on Wednesday, green hydrogen can be produced and used in Nepal. 

The meeting of the Council of Ministers passed the policy to allow the production and use of green hydrogen.

The policy-making process of using ‘green hydrogen’, which is being developed as a modern green energy in the world, has been started since November 2021 to bring it into use in Nepal.

When Pampha Bhusal was the Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, she directed the Water and Energy Commission (WEC) to formulate the necessary policy for green hydrogen production and its use.

After that, WEC Secretary Mani Ram Gelal formed a coordination committee under the leadership of Shishir Koirala, a joint secretary of the Commission. 

Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Energy Chiranjeevi Chataut, Deputy Director General of Power Development Department Jeebachha Mandal, Deputy Executive Director of Alternative Energy Promotion Centre Navraj Dhakal, Professor of Tribhuvan University Institute of Engineering Dr. Bholanath Sharma Ghimire and Deputy Professor of Kathmandu University Biraj Singh Thapa were the members of the committee.

Biraj Singh Thapa, head of Nepal Hydrogen Initiatives under Kathmandu University, said that after the government passed the policy, the production and use of green hydrogen could officially be done in Nepal.

Since no policy had been made yet, Kathmandu University was producing hydrogen as a pilot project by building a laboratory. Some time ago, the university created a hydrogen vehicle and even a refuelling station.

In India, the use of hydrogen energy has already started as a cooking fuel as well as operating buses. Thapa said that even in Nepal, hydrogen energy can be used for cooking and driving.

 Thapa said that the use of hydrogen would help reduce the import of petroleum products and reduce the trade deficit. He also said that necessary arrangements would be made if coal or diesel-based industries wanted to be powered by hydrogen and the government would prepare regulations for this.

Similarly, the Cabinet meeting allowed to own 585 ropanis of land for establishing Chaujahari New City under the Gharigaun Land Integration Project and allowed to own 677 ropanis of land area for implementing Khurkot Land Integration Project. 

The government also approved the visit of Minister for Forest and Environment Dr. Birendra Prasad Mahato to Nairobi, Kenya, to take part in the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6) to be held from February 24 to March 1, 2024.